Ford has started volume production of EcoBoost engines at its new factory in Craiova, Romania.
The EUR180m plant is part of the automaker’s total spend there of EUR675m (about US$875m) on engine and vehicle production.
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The first engine model is the one-litre EcoBoost petrol, also made in Cologne, Germany. The turbocharged, direct injection I3 is the smallest petrol engine built by Ford and will go into the new B-Max mini-MPV soon also made at Craiova. It’s already available in Europe in the Focus (100 PS and 125 PS versions).
The B-Max will get 100PS and 120PS versions and the motor is also destined for the C-Max/Grand C-Max lines and “several other Ford vehicles”.
“This brings a new level of advanced manufacturing to this part of Europe,” said Dirk Heller, Ford Europe’s head of manufacturing and powertrain operations. “With pivotal products such as the one-litre EcoBoost engine and the new B-Max, which goes into production later this year, Craiova is very important to Ford’s future success in Europe.”
The Craiova engine plant will initially run a single shift with more planned as demand increases.
New manufacturing techniques there reduce the volume of coolant required when machining aluminium engine parts to just 4-5 millilitres per component compared with the usual requirement of up to two litres.
The factory was built by Daewoo and a small number of former employees transferred to Ford.
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